Don Sutton pitched a three-hitter as the Astros blanked the Braves, 3-0. The Astros scored in the first inning on a walk to Phil Garner, double by Tony Scott and sacrifice fly by Jose Cruz. Scott singled home the first run of a two-tun third and later came in on a single by Danny Heep. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Atlanta Braves 0
Game Played on Tuesday, September 22, 1981 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  3  0
Astros       1  0  2    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   3 12  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Butler cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .262      Puhl rf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .259
Washington rf         4   0   0   0     0   0   .301      Garner 2b             3   1   1   0     1   0   .255
Horner 3b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .274      Scott cf              4   1   3   1     0   0   .279
Chambliss 1b          3   0   1   0     0   0   .279      Cruz lf               2   0   1   1     1   0   .262
Linares lf            3   0   1   0     0   0   .275      Heep 1b               3   0   1   1     1   1   .255
Hubbard 2b            3   0   0   0     0   0   .234      Howe 3b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .310
Ramirez ss            2   0   0   0     0   0   .218      Ashby c               4   0   2   0     0   0   .287
  Smith ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Reynolds ss           3   0   1   0     1   0   .256
  Sinatro c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Sutton p              4   0   1   0     0   1   .143
Owen c                2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Asselstine ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .284
  Gomez ss            0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
Perry p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Bedrosian p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Pocoroba ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .184
  Montefusco p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .067
  Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Whisenton ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .000

Totals               29   0   3   0     0   3             Totals               31   3  12   3     4   2

Time of Game: 2:16   Attendance: 22,564
Left on Base: Braves 2, Astros 9
DP: Braves 2, Astros 1
Errors: Garner
Doubles: Scott (17), Puhl (18)
Stolen Bases: Scott (16)
Caught Stealing: Butler (1), Reynolds (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Cruz (7)
GIDP: Linares (9), Reynolds (6), Heep (3)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Perry L(7-8)            4     8   3   3   1   1   0  20   3.76
Bedrosian               1     0   0   0   1   0   0   3   2.89
Montefusco              2     3   0   0   2   0   0  10   3.54
Garber                  1     1   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.10
Totals                  8    12   3   3   4   2   0  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton W(10-8)          9     3   0   0   0   3   0  29   2.68
Totals                  9     3   0   0   0   3   0  29

Balks: Montefusco (1)

Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Satch Davidson, 2B - Terry Tata, 3B - Jerry Crawford


BRAVES 1ST: Butler singled to right; Washington flied out to
right; Butler was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
Horner flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to left; Garner walked; Scott doubled
to right [Garner to third]; Cruz hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Garner scored, Scott to third]; Heep struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Chambliss flied out to right; Linares made an out to
third; Hubbard grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Ashby
singled to left; Reynolds grounded into a double play (first to
shortstop to first) [Ashby out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Braves 0, Astros 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Ramirez made an out to first; Owen made an out to
second; Perry popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Sutton grounded out (third to first); Puhl doubled
to right; Garner grounded out (shortstop to first); Scott
singled to right [Puhl scored]; Cruz singled to center [Scott to
third]; Heep singled to left [Scott scored, Cruz to second];
Howe grounded out (first to pitcher); 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Butler reached on an error by Garner [Butler to
first]; Washington grounded out (second to first) [Butler to
second]; Horner grounded out (third to first) [Butler to third];
Chambliss made an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Ashby grounded out (first unassisted); Reynolds made
an out to second; Sutton grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Linares singled to right; Hubbard flied out to
center; Ramirez flied out to left; Owen forced Linares (third to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl singled to center; Garner singled to left [Puhl
to second]; BEDROSIAN REPLACED PERRY (PITCHING); Scott grounded
out (second to first) [Puhl to third, Garner to second]; Cruz
was walked intentionally; Heep grounded into a double play
(pitcher to catcher to first) [Puhl out at home]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.

BRAVES 6TH: POCOROBA BATTED FOR BEDROSIAN; Pocoroba struck out;
Butler grounded out (second to first); Washington grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: MONTEFUSCO REPLACED POCOROBA (PITCHING); Howe flied
out to center; Ashby singled to shortstop; Montefusco balked
[Ashby to second]; Reynolds walked; Ashby was picked off second
(catcher to shortstop); Sutton singled to shortstop [Reynolds to
second]; Puhl made an out to second; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 3.

BRAVES 7TH: Horner struck out; Chambliss singled to center;
Linares grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Chambliss out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Garner lined to third; Scott singled to center;
Scott stole second; Cruz grounded out (second to first) [Scott
to third]; Heep was walked intentionally; Howe flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.

BRAVES 8TH: Hubbard grounded out (shortstop to first); SMITH
BATTED FOR RAMIREZ; Smith grounded out (first unassisted);
Debut game for Ken Smith; ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR OWEN;
Asselstine flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: SINATRO REPLACED SMITH (PLAYING C ); GOMEZ REPLACED
ASSELSTINE (PLAYING SS); GARBER REPLACED MONTEFUSCO (PITCHING);
Ashby grounded out (shortstop to first); Debut game for Matt
Sinatro; Reynolds singled to shortstop; Reynolds was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Sutton struck out; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.

BRAVES 9TH: WHISENTON BATTED FOR GARBER; Whisenton struck out;
Butler flied out to left; Washington grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 3.